The Tarot Code

by Carlo Bozzelli

  © Accademia dei Tarocchi, 2014

  Graphic design and editing: Accademia dei Tarocchi

  Rights of translation, electronic storage, reproduction and total or partial adaptation by any means (including photocopy and microfilm), are reserved for all countries. For usage rights contact the editor.

  Editing project: Accademia dei Tarocchi

  Direction: Carlo Bozzelli - Accademia dei Tarocchi

  To Sara

  Index

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  1.1 Etymology

  1.2 Study of the Tarot: which Model?

  The historical Model

  The occult Model

  The metànoic Model

  Chapter 2

  2.1 The first Centuries after Christ

  Provence

  Egypt

  John Cassian

  2.2 From 1000 to 1500

  Saint Victor and the Visconti Family

  2.3 From the end of 1700’s to modern Time

  The French School

  The Anglo-Saxon School

  2.4 The great Error

  Nicolas Conver

  Chapter 3

  3.1 The general Structure of the Tarot

  The Minor Arcana

  The four Suits: Pentacles, Cups, Wands and Swords

  Cups

  Pentacles

  Wands

  Swords

  The four Castes

  The Major Arcana

  3.2 Dualism

  Dualism: some unusual cases

  Dualism: Male-Female

  The Law of Difference

  Dualism: general Scheme

  Observation Exercise

  The Tarot: Yoga for the Soul

  3.3 Some meanings of the Tarot

  Cartomancy

  A Path of Knowledge

  A Vehicle of Consciousness

  An Instrument of Help

  Chapter 4

  4.1 The Coded Structure: the first Codes

  1) Graphic codes

  Hanged Man-World code

  Doubt

  Levels

  New Levels

  Pentacles

  Cups

  Wands

  Swords

  The fifth Element

  4.2 The Coded Structure: new codes

  Simplicity

  The Lover-Judgement Code

  2) The Text-Codes

  The Apostrophe Code

  Various Anomalies

  4.3 The Laws of the Tarot

  The Law of Antithesis

  The Law of Duplicity

  Example of the Fool’s Staff

  Example of the two houses

  Chapter 5

  5.1 East and West

  5.2 Synchronicity

  5.3 Synchronicity and the Tarot

  Chapter 6

  6.1 An optical Language

  Grammar: Codes and Laws

  Lexicon: the Keywords

  Observation

  Decryption

  The Book

  The Veil

  The Horns

  The Torches

  6.2 The Archetypes

  Methods of Interpretations

  The traditional syntactic Method

  The Personages

  Chapter 7

  7.1 The Law of Contemplation

  Spatial Reference

  Temporal Reference

  7.2 The Law of Opportunity

  To offer a Solution

  7.3 Example of a Reading

  Chapter 8

  8.1 Tarology: a true Science

  8.2 Cartomanciy and Divination

  Risks: the divinatory Trap

  The Advantages

  A spiritual Intelligence

  Danger Alert

  8.3 Multiplicity of Teachings

  1) The Builders

  2) The Freemasons

  Square and Compass

  The Artisan

  The three Points in a Triangle

  The 33 Degrees

  3) The Hermits of Egypt

  8.4 A Path of Knowledge

  Chapter 9

  9.1 Anachronisms?

  9.2 Prince Castracani Fibbia

  9.3 The Cathedral of Orvieto

  9.4 The Cathedral of Siena

  Conclusions

  Appendix

  The Marseilles Tarot

  The so-called Marseilles Tarot

  The classic Marseilles Tarot

  Restoration of the Conver Tarot of 1760

  Bibliography

  Introduction

  What is the Tarot? It is commonly thought of as a phenomenon so arcane, as to be unable to discover its origin, let alone its authentic meaning. The number of estimations in the thousands of publications on the theme of the Tarot is in itself evidence of a lack of certainty and of definite and convincing answers. This book offers a totally new vision, which, precisely and simply, illustrates the true sense of these extraordinary figures.

  The first aspect to clarify is this: the mystery of the Tarot has been intentionally and jealously shielded and concealed over the centuries. It is no surprise that these cards have been called Arcana, from the Latin arcanus, meaning something incomprehensible and hidden. Why this concealment? For what secret reasons? The explanation is only one: the Tarot contains an ancient traditional Knowledge which, in order to not risk alteration, and at the same time to be protected from any accusation of heresy, was conserved in the form of symbolic drawings whose meaning is not readily accessible to all.

  To attain this knowledge, we must acquire certain information which, as an encoding key, will throw open the doors of understanding. This is the only reason for which experts, unknowing, have never been able to elaborate conclusive and acceptable hypotheses regarding its true nature. For centuries academicians, esoterists, artists, even simple enthusiasts, have proposed and tenaciously maintained their own personal interpretations. Thus, these cards have become object of theories and opinions of every sort, from the most serious and honest to the most extravagant and imaginative, sometimes being adapted to a multitude of doctrinal systems which have totally transformed them. The Tarot is not at all a simple card game invented for the amusement of a Renaissance duke. At the same time, analyses conducted using only the methods of psychological, philosophical and esoteric matrices cannot be accepted without reserve, as they prove to be partial and incomplete. These figures, in effect, must not be considered exclusively as Archetypes, nor as inspiration for the study of an ancient and universal symbolism. These objectives, which must certainly be developed, are actually accessory to understanding a primary dynamic which lies at the root of the whole. What is this dynamic? What do we mean by this radical declaration?

  The Tarot is a group of images composed of features and colors, with the addition of certain names and numbers. For this particularity, it will be well to begin with direct observation. Indeed, would we not do the same, facing a painting? One of the objects of the author is to teach the reader, even the most inexpert, to see these figures with great simplicity and in the most natural way: as would a child. This exercise consists in learning to see in a neutral manner, without committing the error of thinking to see, which would interpose thought and prejudice. Paradoxically, for us who are used to complexity, this is quite a demanding exercise, which necessitates, in case we are already familiar with these figures, the effort to contemplate them as if for the first time.

  In order to uncover the teachings they hide, in fact, we must experience personally and visua
lly, systematically, the soundness of each affirmation. No explanation may be accepted dogmatically, no matter the brilliance of the author proposing it, because without an objective and experimentally provable demonstration, in our case visual confirmation, it would risk revealing itself a subjective judgment. The ancient schools of wisdom have bequeathed us the teaching that Truth is a path guided by evidence; when investigating the Tarot, this criterion must be fully respected. In correctly following this approach, anyone will be able to verify a quite surprising aspect: the simple observation of the figures renders manifest the presence of Codes. What do we mean by this?

  The Codes of the Tarot are enigmas hiding a solution, like so many puzzles with which many amuse themselves in their free time. These enigmas may be illustrated and explained through logical, rational processes because they may be studied in a repeatable and certifiable manner, which therefore has full scientific validity. Obviously, recognition is preparatory to their resolution; however, the deciphering of a Code, in itself, unveils a fragment of the overall teaching of the Tarot. It is as if we found ourselves before the tiles of an enormous mosaic, which, arranged in their proper places, progressively reveal the global representation of which they are part. We use the adjective enormous because the Codes, of differing degrees of interpretative difficulty, are thousands, all however coherent in their direction and in a shared consciousness. Decoding them, we discover that, despite their great number, they are regulated by well-defined and -delimitated functioning mechanisms. These last, are the Laws which govern the manner in which the Tarot expresses itself and acts. The two elements together, Codes and Laws, create an extremely complex and elaborate Coded Structure, which is the keystone of all results. This Structure, in its maximum perfection, is retraceable to an ancient deck belonging to the group of the Tarot of Marseilles, created by the Master Cardmaker, Nicolas Conver. For this reason, it is used in this treatise, after overseeing the restoration of the features and the improvement of the colours of the original 1760 version. This deck, indeed, is the only reliable source not only for the specific category of the Marseilles Tarot of which it is a part, but for the entire genre, as other contemporary authors are aware, having recycled and used it for the publication of their own well-known decks of Marseilles Tarot. Conver’s deck is depositary of a Tradition rooted in the origins of Christian history, and must be confronted as a Mute Book of Wisdom: a text that hands down an immense knowledge expressed through images. The Arcana Icons of which it is composed are enigmatic as are hieroglyphs; but thanks to comprehension of the Codes, they become the seventy-eight letters of an alphabet, however unusual. These graphic symbols are regulated by the Grammar, generated and extrapolated thanks to the Codes, that is, the Laws, which we might define a succession of principles necessary to the construction of proper hypotheses. We are face to face with another revolutionary aspect: by means of the Coded Structure, a Language is obtained which allows the Tarot to communicate by clear and direct expression. He who learns it is able to transform a chaotic amalgam of apparently mute and silent illustrations into an ordered message of complete sense, as would an interpreter with a text to translate. Furthermore, the Coded Structure, besides permitting the interpretation of the Tarot as it is commonly understood, sheds light also upon those aspects to which researchers, believing them inaccessible, had renounced. Indeed, unable to provide definite answers, for lack of a solid foundation on which to base them, scholars came to believe that it was impossible to resolve, in an absolute manner, the principle dilemma of these cards: their origin. Thus, they concentrated on the cards’ presumed use of a divinatory sort - for predicting the future - or else exclusively on their symbolic sense. This last significance, lacking the clear criteria inherent to the Tarot itself, was extracted from comparison with external symbolisms belonging to diverse forms of traditional knowledge, even quite distant from one another for epoch and locality: religions (from Christianity to Hinduism, Buddhism to Shintoism, only to mention a few of the better known), Astrology, the Cabala, Numerology, Alchemy, etc. Therefore, there were attempts to explain the Tarot with key points of other disciplines, resulting in comprehension of inadequate validity.

  The point of view we present, also regarding this aspect, is diametrically the opposite. As anyone who wishes to understand himself, may not ignore his origins, in the same way we maintain, that he who would understand the Tarot, must necessarily investigate its genesis. Thus, the Coded Structure proves itself once again indispensable because, apart from providing the key to the modality of interpretation, it aids in understanding what these mysterious images are and where they come from. All this may then allow us to verify empirically their existence and to have access to the immense Knowledge which lies latent, silent, and still within these Figures. In fact, the great wisdom and secret hidden here has never been object of dissertation nor revelation, notwithstanding their enormous value and potential. The moment has arrived that this treasure be made free to those who have the desire, the will and the inclination to receive it and study it in depth. We endeavour here to illustrate this subject in a simple and linear fashion, to put it at the disposal of even the least expert. For this reason, the book is divided into sections.

  The first part is an historical introduction, which proposes reflections and considerations relative to the origin of the Tarot, very different from those formerly postulated by preceding researchers. In particular, we describe the connection between the Icons commonly known as the Tarot and the teachings of the Holy Hermits of the deserts of Egypt, the First Fathers of Christianity.

  The central nucleus of the book is based on the study of the first rudiments of the Coded Structure. In this section are a number of easy practical demonstrations similar to mathematical methods, which allow the verification of the binomial hypothesis/thesis. These explanations, entertaining and stimulating as well, serve to indicate the presence of Enigma-Codes, allowing their resolution in order to discover their teachings.

  The last part proposes a completely new use for the Tarot, diverging from the modern and overly used cartomantic practices, and reveals its true purpose. This particularly important theme allows us to go beyond the mystifications and common errors which have, in a reductive fashion at the very least, made the Tarot an instrument exclusively used for predicting the future. However unlikely it may seem, these Icons represent a true Science. This discipline, which in recent times has been rebaptized Tarology, combining the words tarot and logos, “discourse on the Tarot”, fully merits the right to be considered a branch of serious and rigorous knowledge, which must be approached with great respect and extreme awareness. Learning the normative principles of the Coded Structure, it is possible to understand the essence and the true extension of the Tarot. Only this understanding will restore its genuine identity to the Icons, liberating them from the unworthy reputation of a tool for fortune-tellers and psychics. The study of the real nature of the Arcana makes of them a means of inestimable efficacy and, not less important, within reach of all. The Tarot, in fact, may permit an individual to experience a Wisdom that may advise him on daily questions as well as upon themes of existential relevance. At the same time, it represents an Initiatory Path of precise stages, which offers the possibility, to whoever feels the interior urgency, to advance towards full realization and contact with his higher Self. Even when they are used as a divinatory instrument, they enjoy a scientific objectivity, derived from the bond of Codes and Laws, guaranteeing a reading of great quality and total reliability. In fact, using the Codes found thanks to the Coded Structure, we may express ourselves in a manner similar in all ways to written or spoken language.

  This book lets us rediscover the original meaning of the Tarot, which, over the centuries, once taken from the cenobies and the monasteries, underwent a drastic process of vulgarization, becoming finally known merely as “playing cards”. That which in the beginning was a Sacred Work, is today considered at best a form of common amusement. The hop
e, and indeed the purpose, of the book are to free it from any negative connotation, restoring its dignity and sacredness. The keys of access to these images were conserved and guarded by men of great valour, those whom we name the Holy Fathers of our asceticism. Thanks to these basic principles the Tarot become the inner workings of a fantastic mechanism that may be called, without exaggeration, a true Metaphysical Machine. This machine, when put at the service of man, aids and supports him in his daily task of dealing with the trials of material and spiritual existence, accompanying him with will, love, and intelligence, along his Path of evolution.

  Carlo Bozzelli

  Chapter 1

  “No one will hide a valuable object in something of great value, but many a time one has tossed countless thousands into a thing worth a penny.”

  (Gospel of Philip)

  1.1 Etymology

  Tarot: “Each of the illustrated cards which make up the Tarot deck. The term was first used approximately a century after the invention of the deck, estimated circa 1500. Its origin is even now obscure.”

  Is it correct, the definition we are used to hearing when speaking of this deck of cards? Scholars maintain that the term Tarot, whose etymological origin is still uncertain, was first used in XVII- century Italy. The term is in any case, mostly used in the plural. The ample literature on the subject shows us however that its etymology is not the only thing in doubt: its origin as well is not certain. Almost all researchers presume that they were created in Italy around the XV century, during the Renaissance therefore. Actually, this is merely a hypothesis, but because of the obsessive insistence with which it has been repeated, it has become automatically true. This approach, from the point of view of authentic scientific and historiographic research, is incorrect; in that, without definite and proven evidence, one cannot transform conjecture into fact unless there is the intention to take intentional liberties with the outcome. For example, we are convinced that the exact name is not to be found in the Italian language (Tarocchi) but rather in the term adopted by all other idioms, to wit: Tarot. Setting aside for a later time an investigation into the more complex aspects of its etymology, we will limit ourselves for the moment to note that the word is written, differently from Italian, in the singular form.